Andrew Lutzke
Nitro
We open with a legit shock as WWF Women’s Champ Alundra Blayze shows up on the Nitro set and declares that she is and always has been Madusa. The title belt ends up in the trash can. Bischoff plays it up at first like she’s a surprise or an outsider, but then picks the title out the trash with a shit eating grin as Mongo laughs at what he thinks the WWF officials are doing right now after seeing this.
Then Mongo brings out William Perry, who hurts Bobby Heenan with a handshake.
Eddy Guerrero vs. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
They work the ground game and Eddy rolls through several Flair attempts to grind him into the mat. Eddy then escapes a leg trip takedown and messes up Flair’s hair. Eddy struts and Flair takes a walk to regroup. Eddy nails 2 dropkicks but misses a third. Flair tries a figure four but is rolled up instead. Eddy runs into a boot to finally break his momentum. They trade punches and chops. Guerrero hits a tornado DDT and a frankensteiner. Eddy climbs to the top rope but Flair accidentally falls onto the ropes and Eddy crashes to the cement and hurts his knee. Ric takes him to school and then locks in the figure four. Eddy passes out from the pain and is pinned. Another exciting Eddy match – how did WCW manage to screw his rise to glory up?
Arn Anderson joins Flair to gloat. Kevin Sullivan interrupts and warns the Horsemen that Pillman bashing the Dungeon of Doom is grounds for war.
Sgt. Craig Pittman comes out and says his investigations have determined that Bobby Heenan was once a great manager (No shit?). He asks Bobby to take over his career but Heenan respectfully declines.
Marcus Bagwell vs. Lex Luger
Lex clubs away but Bagwell uses his agility to flip Luger head over heels and dropkicks him to the floor. Lex misses a charge and eats a flying forearm. Bagwell launches himself at Lex and lands on The Total Package’s knees. Bagwell is power slammed and locked in the torture rack for the submission. Just a match.
Sting vs. Earl Robert Eaton
Eaton gets tossed around and he stalls to recover. Eaton hits his still gorgeous punch, a smooth arm wringer and a crisp back breaker. If this were happening 15years later, a “You still got it!” chant would be busting out. Eaton misses a flying knee and eats a Stinger splash and locked in the Scorpion Death Lock for the submission. As good as can be for a glorified TV squash match.
Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs. The Giant
Savage plays cat and mouse with The Giant. Savage tries a sleeper and the ref lets Savage keep it locked on even after The Giant makes it to the ropes. The Giant, realizes the ref is incompetent and manually chucks Savage off. A slam attempt goes poorly for Macho. The Giant mauls Savage and locks in a bear hug. Savage gouges at the monster’s eyes as he seems to have no other weak points. Savage is driven into the mat in response. Randy is chucked to the floor and press slammed back in the ring. The Giant CLIMBS TO THE TOP ROPE and misses a diving splash. Macho hits the big elbow but the Giant flings him off. The Giant DROPKICKS Savage to the floor and peels away the mats but Savage clings to the ropes and avoids his execution. Savage is caught with the chokeslam and The Giant stalls to wait for Hulk Hogan to hit his queue as the Hulkster makes his way down the aisle. The Giant attempts the pin but Hogan breaks it up with a chair shot. A few more shots send the Giant to the floor. Hogan also whacks a few refs who get in the way.
Mongo McMichael and William Perry waddle to ringside to try and calm Hogan down. Perry trips over a WCW official and falls on his face. LOL. Hulk tells them to get out of his business. The crowd actually chants for Hogan – something that hasn’t happened in weeks. The Giant charges back out and Hogan cracks him with the chair a few more times.
The post match interview is unbelievable as Hogan points out his name is still on Savage’s belt, Savage openly says “I needed your help but you sure didn’t need mine” Hogan then challenges Savage to a title match. Savage promises they can clash if Savage beats Ric Flair next week and defends the title at Starrcade successfully. Then Hogan’s music plays so he can pose with the World champ.
RAW
Fatu vs. Jeff Jarrett
Double J avoids Fatu’s early offensive maneuvers and struts. Fatu goes low and does his own strut. Fatu no sells a DDT and busts a move – then busts JJ’s face. Jarrett chokes away on Fatu and struts again. Fatu is staggered with several aerial attacks from JJ. He goes to the well one too many times and Fatu catches him with a body shot. JJ is power slammed, smashed in the corner with a clothesline and hit with a modified Diamond Cutter. Fatu is chucked into the steel post shoulder first and JJ teases a figure four. This prompts Ahmed Johnson to charge in and attack Jeff Jarrett. Fatu takes the DQ loss in stride as he and Ahmed are both from the street so he doesn’t want his night to end thanks to a shanking. Match was dull.
Gorilla Monsoon announces Jarrett’s out of the Royal Rumble and it will be Ahmed vs. JJ on the undercard instead. He then promises “stars of the past will be returning” for the Rumble match as well as “guys you’ve never even heard of!” Oh boy I can’t wait to see no name guys on PPV!!!!!
Goldust flirts with Razor Ramon in another promo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBcH5WpMQhA
Bob Holly vs. “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell
The SMW vets go through the basics to start as Lawler tells everyone that Buddy is a 17 year vet and basically calls him old. Landell hits a short clothesline and a Flair-esque chop. Buddy locks in a hammerlock and then a chinlock. Holly starts to no sell and hits a hurricanrana. Holly misses a dropkick and Buddy hits a corkscrew elbow for the pin. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
Brother Love interviews Ted DiBiase. DiBiase talks up Xanta Klaus being from the South Pole. Yup.
IC Champion Razor Ramon vs. Yokozuna
Goldust’s glitter falls on Razor and that distracts him long enough for Yokozuna to attack him. Razor is able to fire back and he sends Yokozuna to the floor. Yoko no sells some clotheslines and sends Razor to the floor. Ramon pops right back in, avoids a butt splash and locks in an armbar. Razor really seems to be struggling with trying to functionally work a match with a guy Yoko’s size since Razor is used to being able to use power moves and toss guys around. Yoko uses some head butts and locks on a nerve hold.
Razor fights his way free…and goes back to the armbar. We come back from commercial with Razor locked in another nerve hold. Yoko (slowly) chokes away at Razor. Ramon slugs his way back into the match and hits a bulldog. The lights flicker and the Undertaker comes out to haunt Yokozuna for his part in smashing the Dead Man’s face. Yoko runs away and gives Razor a count out win.
Razor tells Dok Hendrix after the match that he is ok with Goldust having sex with men, as long as he isn’t the man in question.
We end RAW with this tear jerking video for Vince McMahon’s boyfriend Shawn Michaels:
Final thoughts:
Terrible “live” Raw. Dull matches and no clear direction heading into Wrestlemania season, other than perhaps the main event level where some combo of Shawn, Diesel, Taker and Bret were going to headline…much like the previous 12 months more or less. Thankfully this is the last RAW of 1995 and we can finally enter the rebuilding period for this dreadful roster.
Nitro again had a big surprise (Madusa’s jump), some good wrestling (Eddy/Flair) and a PPV level main event. Nitro wins another week.
BUT WAIT~!
Since RAW is off for the Christmas break, let’s get week 17 done with so I can get to Starrcade ’95…
Nitro
Scotty Riggs vs. Lex Luger
Since Luger beat Bagwell last week…why not Riggs too? Lex clubs away but ends up dropkicked to the floor. Lex clubs some more but Riggs manages to get an arm drag and tries to wear down sexy Lexy. Lex reverses a suplex and dumps Riggs on the top rope and knocks him to the floor. Luger suplexes Riggs back in. Riggs tries some fluke roll ups and misses a dropkick from the top rope. The crowd pops as they know what comes next as Luger hits a power slam and locks in the torture rack for the win. Paint by numbers stuff.
Sting is sick of Mean Gene asking him the same questions about Lex Luger every week. (Good point!)
Sting vs. Big Bubba Rogers
Bubba knocks Sting over but he pops right back up. Bubba kicks him in the head but Sting manages to out strike Bubba and Bubba heads to the floor where Bubba’s face is slammed into the pavement. Bubba smashes Sting in the turnbuckle and locks in a side headlock. Bubba tries a suplex but Sting rolls him up for small package pin. This felt very much like they were going thru the motions.
Hulk Hogan has been suspended for a week. Good thing he didn’t have a match scheduled for the biggest show of the year that is taking place in 2 days…
Luger yaks up his love affair with Sting. Craig Pittman comes down and asks Jimmy Hart to be his manager. Hart insults his body and declines.
Mr. JL vs. Dean Malenko
Dean jumps JL and nails a pretty package suplex. They go counter hold for counter hold until JL sends Dean to the floor with a head scissors and then launches on him. JL hits a power bomb for a near fall. Dean flips JL over his head and dumps him throat first on the ropes. Malenko hits a gut buster off the top rope and locks on a modified knee bar for the submission. Good little match.
Ric Flair tries to plug tonight’s main event but he is interrupted by Jimmy Hart who asks Ric to let Hart manage him tonight.
Randy Savage vs. Ric “Nature Boy” Flair
Flair chops away but Savage grabs his leg and rams it into the steel post. Macho Man locks in the figure four. Flair gets the ropes and takes Macho Man down in an attempt to lock in his own figure four. Savage is tossed to the floor and sent into the railing. Ric abuses Randy’s bad arm with kicks and a hammerlock. Savage tries to make a comeback so Flair whacks his gonads. Flair chops away until Savage finally gets his second wind and punches away at Flair. Savage tries a double axe handle to the floor but Flair catches him in the belly. Ric further wears at Macho with a knee breaker. Figure Four is locked on and Savage struggles to deal with the pain. Savage gets to the ropes and slams Flair off the top rope. Macho reverses a piledriver and hits a double axe handle. Jimmy Hart gets on the apron and Savage grabs him – that prompts Lex Luger to charge in and defend his manager. Sting charges in and Sting and Flair tear into each other. Finally the heels are repelled and Savage and Sting go face to face. Slaps and threats are exchanged.
(Final!) Final thoughts:
Another solid week on Nitro – but the biggest show of the year has fewer marquee matches built up than several editions of Nitro have had. Nitro has been building to other matches that aren’t even on the horizon. Good show – bad business.
